The Wooden Coffin
by Kouta Aburame
Summary: Sakura Kinomoto is forced into a deal that takes her deep into the school woods. There, she is thrown into a life changing ordeal that she might not get out of alive.  Reviews greatly appreciated and returned.


**Authors Note:** This is something I wrote for class a long time back. I wondered if I could change it into a fanfic and here's the result. I hope you enjoy.

It was early in the day and I was sitting in class. The room was the same as usual with empty seats scattered around the room and many of them poled with heads drooping from boredom. The walls were scattered with posters with all sorts of funny catch phrases for school such as "if a stands for success, them a x + y + z where x is work y is attention and z is fun,"

Mr. Clow, as usual, was his normal, boring self. He always wore that bland white lab coat and those large blue blocker glasses. He also had a large electric blue tattoo that streamed from his back to the ends of his arms. The most annoying characteristic he had though was is dull, hypnotic, monotone voice that seemed to fade away as your head rolled onto the desk. My older brother always told me about him college professors in tired and subtly angry voice.

"Those people are so boring you can't stay awake even after two cups of coffee."

"Come on," I retorted, "there's no way anyone can be that boring, that's impossible!" I soon found out how right my sister truly was when I saw Mr. Clow.

I sat diligently as usual working on copying the notes he frantically scribbled on the board. I felt my eyelids dropping from exhaustion and boredom. Thankfully, the bell rang for gym. The students awoke with a start, bolting for the door fighting there way to the gym, which was the most exciting and respected class in the middle school.

I was about to follow my fellow classmates when Mr. Clow stopped me. He turned me around to look at me, those little eyes stared into mine with what I thought was gratitude. It was hard to tell though from all that wrinkles that scoured his face.

"Excellent job as usual Ms. Kinomoto." He said.

"Thanks, but why do you always called my 'Ms. Kinomoto'?" I asked, "It feels so improper."

"Well, you're the only student I have that actually stays awake during my classes."

"Thank you," I said. I felt like rolling my eyes. Maybe if he were livelier, people would be more attentive. Those eyes were staring at me though so I suppressed it.

"You've only been here for a week, but you've already caught up with the rest of the class. You even have the highest grades," I saw him turn around and start rummaging through is desk, "The school is sending the top students of the school on a free trip to Washington D.C and I was wondering if you wanted to go."

My face lit up with excitement, I always wanted to go to D.C and see the monuments: I said, "Yes! I'd love to go!"

"That's what I though you'd say," He replied, "Here is the permission slip; I hope your parents will let you go."

"Sure they will definitely say yes!"

"Good, now get off to class,"

"One more thing."

"What is it?"

"Can you call me Sakura from now on?"

"Certainly," he said.

With that, he walked me out of class and closed the door behind him. I was so happy! However, my happiness quickly changed to panic when she saw her watch. I had only two minutes to get to class! Panicking, I raced to the gym like it was heaven. I ran for what seemed life forever and them, I got to the double doors that lead to the gym and swatted them away like flies to enter the domain behind them.

The gym was built like any other standard gym with all the equipment to play all sorts of games. It looked like a mixture of a basketball, baseball, football (soccer), and wrestling fields meshed together. It was as if someone was going to play bassbockering.

I looked at my watch again. I only had a minute left! I ran to the other side of the gym hoping that my tiny legs would get me to the locker rooms in time. I made it to the doors of the rooms and noticed something. Mr. Bear wasn't there guarding the doors, he was always there to keep people from going into the opposing rooms especially the boys.

I didn't know much about him but what I saw and heard but it is something. As his name suggests, he looked like a bear and was just as strong. He always wore a white shirt with a striped overcoat and green sweatpants, how tacky! I heard that he used to be a rodeo clown. People thought it was cool but I think he was insane by all means to be battling with brutish bulls. He ate constantly, gorging on whatever he could get his hands on. Pickles, hamburgers, chips, ham, you name it and he ate it. I bet he'd eat his own head if he could.

This was my fist time to the lockers because I was missing a uniform for gym. Just to make it more interesting though, someone had the nerve to take the signs off the wall. I only had fifteen seconds left! Darnnit! I didn't have time to think so I went towards a door, shoving it open, and closing it behind me. I only hoped that there was a girl behind me.

Then, I heard the bell ring, its sounds echoing throughout the halls. The haunting knell's ringing that told all in the hall of their doom. I was so relived that I had escaped that deadly wave in time. That is until I turned around.

It seemed as if I had lept into the fire when I saw boys that were staring at me with a mixture of shock and humor. I felt all my blood rushing to my face seeing some of them still didn't have their shirts on. I was so embarrassed! I stood there, transfixed in that unnatural scene, frozen in time.

The moment didn't last long after I heard Mr. Bear's pounding feet thundering towards the room. If he caught me in here, I'd be dead meat; I started twitching wondering what to do. Then one of the boys walked up to me and said: "Mr. Bear will kill her, quick! Throw her into one of the lockers!"

I felt several hands grab me, wrinkling my clothes as they dragged me along to an empty locker. They threw me in and closed the door behind me trapping me inside. I heard the door slam open as Mr. Bear entered the room and commanded the boys to go to the gym floor. The boys hurried away and I heard the door close behind them.

I couldn't believe it, I went to church every week, I read the bible everyday, I did all my homework, and now, I was sitting in a boys locker crumpled up into a ball. The locker smelled like stale clothes and armpit and it was so cramped. I felt like a bowling pin that had been stuffed into storage. My red neat hair was forming knots.

Despite the horrid conditions, it was better to avoid the grimmer fate. If Mr. Bear found me in here, he would surly hurl me hundreds of yards through the air like a shot-put. I shuttered at the thought and I sat there in that cold smelly coffin for what seemed like an eternity.

Then, I heard the room door swing open and all the boys went to change back into their school clothes. After a while, one of them opened the door and said: "The coast is clear, you can come out now."

Then entire ordeal left me extremely sore. My clothes and hair were a complete mess and I was extremely cold. However, I'm sure that this was nothing compared to the brutal punishment that Mr. Bear would inflict. One of the boys walked up to me and asked: "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, mostly," I groaned.

"That's good to hear," he said. Another boy emerged from the already surrounding pool.

"Enough Li! There is a reason why we saved her you knows," He said.

"S-sorry about that" he stuttered. With that he faded back into the pool of men.

"We have a proposition for you," he said.

"Certainly, I'd be glad to do your homework for a while for this."

"That's not what I was about to ask."

That was strange, usually the boys hated doing their homework and their grades suffered for it. However, they treated completed homework like currency and would do anything for enough of it. My friend once told me that they pulled someone up the top of the flagpole for a week's worth.

"Then what do you want?" I asked.

"Wow, you're pretty feisty for a girl," He said slightly angry, "Although you can't get out of this mess."

"Just get to the point!" I stamped.

"Very well, there is a tree that fell in the woods about two weeks ago. I want to see what's inside but none of the boys have the courage to even get near it. However, now you can enter the tree for us."

"What do you want me to do in there?"

"We need you to prowl around and tell us what it's like in there."

I didn't asked what would happen if I refused because I already knew the consequences. Sitting in that darkness was bad enough but Mr. Bears rage together with the dark locker created a hellfire I did not wish to experience.

"Alright," I sighed.

"Good, then meet us right after school at the back of the grounds. If your not there by four o' clock, we'll tell Mr. Bear you were in here. Is that clear?!"

"Yeah."

We shook hands and the red sea of boys parted, allowing me to pass through. It was the last period of the day where I was usually so happy but today, I was just afraid. How did I get into this? It was so unfair. I thought of many attempts to outsmart the boys who shackled me to their whim but they all ended in the same way, the hellfire of Mr. Bear.

The last period lasted almost as long as the time in the locker. Still, I made it through and headed to the back of the school. Luckily, I was supposed to go to science club today so my parents wouldn't worry too much about where I was. I made it to the woods with just a few minutes to spare. The boys were right in front of me, all with sticks collected from the woods.

We entered the woods. The trees had to be over forty feet tall and they spanned as far as I could see. It was slightly terrifying seeing the darkness hidden just inside the forest. I saw one of the boys pick up a stick and hand it to me saying that I will need it soon.

The forest was ten times creepier than it was when we first saw it. It was so dark I could barely see. The spider webs that ran between the trees surprised me at every turn as they caught on my blue dress and red hair. The boys however were experienced with these woods, using the sticks to swat away the webs and some of the even had lighters for light.

My legs were cut up, my blouse torn, and I had web strewn in my hair but we finally made it to the haunting tree. It looked twice the size of every tree on the way here and fourfold thick. The boys said that this tree fell over recently but it looked like it had been decaying for months; no wonder the boys afraid to explore it. We all stared in awe for a while and then one of the boys said prodding her with his stick "Hurry and get in."

"You really can't expect me to go in there alone can you?" I asked a little fear in my voice.

"Yeah, I do. Or do you want to see Mr. Bear?

"N-no."

"Then get inside."

"If you won't go then count me in," said one of the boys.

I remember this boy; he was the one who asked if I was all right. I believe the other boys called him Li. He looked scrawny yet seemed to have a lot of respect amongst the group. It surprised me he wasn't their leader.

"What?!" cried another boy, "if you wanted to go, then why didn't you speak up earlier?"

"Because none of you would go with me and I need someone to watch my back," Li replied.

"If you go in there with her, I'll break our deal."

"She came all the way out here on your whim. If you break your deal now, you'll regret it."

Dispute his small size; Li made the older kid slightly fearful.

"F-fine, but she has to go in first."

"Alright,"

He then grabbed my hand and took me to the back of the tree. There was a strange hole in the wood around the roots as if it was hollowed out by something. Did the boys clear this out? I saw William pull out his lighter and place it near the center of the hole. A ton of insects flew out from the base, distancing them from the light. I felt my stomach lurch at the sight of them. Seeing it was safe, William turned and nudged me towards the hole.

The hole was only big enough to crawl through which was the last thing I wanted. I could barely see where I was going or what was beneath me. The only light was from William's lighter behind me. The ground beneath was spongy and covered with mushrooms. I nearly threw up feeling the furry surface.

Somewhere along the way, the roof began to rise allowing me to crouch through the dark corridors. I was starting to smell something different. I was used to the rotting wood by now but now the scent of wet fur filled the cavern. The tunnel opened up into a large cavern almost the size of the gym going deep into the ground.

"This is strange; the hollow seems to be much bigger on the inside than the outside," Li observed.

"Well a house always looks bigger on the inside," I said.

"True, but still, this is larger than anything I expected to find in here. And look at the ground; it looks like something was digging here."

"Well this would make a good fort for you guys."

"No, I think we should get out of here."

"Why?"

"I think something else is here and I don't want to find out what it is."

A slight howl emanated somewhere in the cave. I think Li heard it to as he moved in front of me holding the stick like a sword. Still, the howl was getting louder and it echoed across the cave making it impossible to tell where it was coming from.

Suddenly, a wolf sprung from above pouncing on Li. He hit the ground the wind knocked out of him, trying to regain his composure. The wolf sunk its teeth into his arm and he cried out in pain as it shook his arm in its jaws. All I could do was stand there, so scared my legs wouldn't budge. I thought he was going to die until he punched the wolf with his free hand.

The wolf stumbled away wining in pain giving Li enough time to get to his feet. The Wolf was angry now and lunged at Li. Li couldn't move, his arm was in too much pain. Then, somehow, I moved on my own tackling the beast, sending it and me falling into the deep dark cavern below.

Even though the wolf cushioned my fall, I broke one of my legs on impact. I hoped that wolf was dead. If it wasn't, there was no way I could move to escape. However, the wolf got up weakly and walked over to her slobbering all over her face. Was this it? Would I die and rot in this wooden coffin?

Li jumped on its tail and the wolf finally rushed off, finally considering us not worth eating. He walked over to me offering his good arm to help me up but I couldn't stand on my leg so William sat down thinking of how to get out of here. There was no way they could climb back up to the entrance. What were they going to do?

There was a shout from above "Are you in here Li?"

He was so relieved, "Down here!"

"How did you get down there?"

"A wolf attacked us. Could you get some rope? I busted my arm up and can't climb out."

"Alright just hang tight,"

It took about ten minutes before the boys came back with the rope. After hoisting us up, they pulled us outside and carried us to the school. For almost an entire month, everyone wanted to see our casts and nearly every person in the school signed them at least once. From that day on, I was never picked on by the boys again. In fact, I may have fallen in love with one of them. The one everyone now called Li the Wolf Slayer.

**Author's Note: **Thanks for reading my story whether you like it or not. Please leave a review. I would greatly appreciate it.


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